Sailing Catalpa · video

What this video covers

The crew of the sailboat Catalpa removes their masts and all standing rigging to facilitate a complete replacement of the rig.Watch Working with a professional rigger, they measure each wire and pin size for custom fabrication by Hemmer Marine.0:28 The existing rigging shows signs of "barber pulling," where internal corrosion weakens the cables, and the use of mismatched imperial and metric hardware suggests inconsistent maintenance over time.2:06

The crew also removes all chain plates for inspection.5:40 Despite appearing sound from the deck, the plates exhibit significant crevice corrosion, swelling, and structural cracking once removed from the hull.13:51 The crew decides to replace all chain plates through Schaefer Marine rather than attempting repairs.15:17 They also inspect the aluminum mast, which shows extensive paint bubbling and corrosion around stainless steel fittings and penetrations.16:14 They plan to remove all mast hardware to assess the extent of the damage before deciding between spot-patching or a full sandblast and repaint.17:15 The crew uses folding electric bikes for land-based logistics and provisioning during the refit.4:56

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